No One But You
by somakeitcount
Summary: It's not every day you run into someone who makes you tongue-tied. Sometimes, fate steps in and gives a helping hand, but even then it can be difficult. Can Cho and Cedric beat the odds and love one another for everything they are? As told by Cho Chang. DISCONTINUED.
1. Prologue

A/N: So, I was watching the fourth Harry Potter (-drools- Mmmmmm... Robert Pattinson... Tom Felton... Attractiveness to the max), and I loved Cho and Cedric's relationship. It made me sad that there wasn't much time for them, so I decided to write about their short, but lovely relationship in a short story. The whole story had been inspired by **Queen**'s **No-One But You (Only The Good Die Young)**. Enjoy it!! LOOOOOVE.

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Harry Potter series. It's all J.K. Rowling's.

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**Prologue**

In the past few months, my life has been turned upside down. I have changed in ways I never dreamed possible. Events that were out of my control have given me things I had wanted to keep forever, and had taken them away just as easily. The pain I feel is sometimes unbearable. My friends are used to hearing me cry myself to sleep at night now. They encourage me to forget, to move on. But I don't want to forget. Not now, not ever. Even on my deathbed, I want to remember him.

After months of tears and pain, I have become stronger. I visit the places where we had been together, the places we had been happy. It is as if I am with him again, as if he is standing near me, the most beautiful smile on his lips. It is in these places, and these places only, that I find I can keep my promise to him.


	2. Bruises and Books

A/N: Okee dokee, kids. Here we go. Enjoy the Cedric and Cho loveliness.

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Harry Potter series. It's all J.K. Rowling's.

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**Bruises and Books  
**

Hogwarts' Library is, without a doubt, one of my favourite places on the grounds up to date. There are hundreds of books, the objects of my passion: learning. The smell of leather covers, musty paper, and the lulling lavender scented smoke from the fires that the librarian loves so much are so deliciously fragrant. There is no sound so lovely as the sound of pages turning over and over, the only sound that breaks the deafening silence within the stone walls that contain my sanctuary. The light is just bright enough that I can see everything in perfect clarity. The warm colours of the rooms are enough to relax even a Slytherin (I have seen more than a few of them sleeping on the couches in my time). It is my absolute favourite place to study and read.

As always, I found myself sitting in the library on a Sunday evening. Professor McGonagall had given each of the students in her class an essay on the history of some part of transfiguration. It was fair to argue, in my opinion, that it was not an essay as much as a novel. I leaned against the frame of one of the bookshelves, contemplating on ways to develop plot points for the ancient Mayans and their use of transfiguration. It was certainly the only way to make it interesting. Furthermore, after we handed in our essay, we had to give a brief overview to the class, as well as a demonstration. And that was where the shit hit the fan. I was clever in all other aspects (my grades definitely reflected that), but the practical aspect of transfiguration was something that seemed to escape me.

My fingers searched through the bookshelf, looking for the right titles that had the information I was looking for. I had at least ten books in my arms by the time I was done, and I was thankful that my table was only a few steps away; I couldn't see a thing, due to the fact that my vision was directly impeded by a copy of Tabitha Brown's Mayan Transfiguration: Separating Fact From Fiction. I wobbled down the aisle, side-stepping from time to time in order to re-balance the tower in my arms. It was not overly enjoyable. As I came to the end of the shelves, I stopped, peering through the gaps in between books for oncoming traffic. When I was satisfied that I wouldn't be ploughed over, I took a step forward. I had been wrong.

I bumped into someone, the books toppling from my arms. I groaned, rubbing my head where one particularly large book had fallen back and hit me. "Ooooh..." I cringed, hitting a tender spot. "That's going to bruise..." My voice was low as I bit back the pain. It was important to retain some sort of dignity in these situations. I looked up at the person I had bumped into, cringing inwardly. I had just slammed into a rather attractive Hufflepuff male."Oh, damn it, are you okay? I didn't see you coming around that corner there. I'm so sorry."

I allowed a small smile to peek out, shrugging, "It's alright. It happens." As I reached down to pick up my books, I bumped my head again. This time, against his head. This was certainly embarrassing... "I'm sorry, I didn't-" He cut me off as I stood up suddenly, rubbing a new tender spot on my skull.

"No, it's okay, don't worry. Let me help you, though?" I bit my lip and nodded my head, a smile peeking through.

"That'd be great. My table is just over here." I grabbed two of the ten books that had toppled to the floor during our impact, as he had already scooped up the other eight. Setting them down on the solid wood surface, I pulled out a chair and sat down. I took a moment to examine the boy that had been so gracious to help me, and was pleasantly surprised by what I saw. He was tall, at least six feet, and, judging by what I could see defined by the black t-shirt he was wearing, quite fit. The muscles in his arms barely twitched with all of the weight in his arms, where as I had been struggling to walk when they had been in my arms. When he put the books down on the table, my eyes moved to his face, taking in what I saw. He had dark blonde hair, streaks of brown here and there. His eyes were a light brown, flecked with reddish-brown and green. His skin was smooth and unblemished, and looked every bit as soft as the hair on his head. Sweet Merlin, the boy was beautiful.

"Do you mind if I sit down for a bit?" His voice broke through the fog in my brain, and I struggled for a moment to concentrate again. He smiled, and my heart near jumped out of my throat. I swallowed, nodding my head.

"Not at all," I squeaked, frowning and clearing my throat. My cheeks flushed a dark crimson, and I averted my eyes, studying my nails. They were long, and the polish I had previously put on them had since chipped and scratched. I made a mental note to clean and repaint them; they looked downright ugly right now. When I felt that I had myself under control again, I looked back up at the boy, a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth when I saw that he had taken a seat right beside me. I cleared my throat again, in order to avoid another squeak. I had already had enough embarrassment for the next month.

I looked at him again, my mouth opening to speak, but I stopped short. Tilting my head to one side, I half-smiled. "I think I know you. You're Cedric Diggory, aren't you? Hufflepuff's Quidditch Captain and Seeker." He flashed yet another brilliant smile, and I swallowed hard.

"In the flesh. And you..." He paused, his finger tapping his lips. Cedric's brow furrowed in thought, his nose wrinkling up. "I recognize you. Cho Chang, isn't it? Ravenclaw Seeker." It was my turn to grin now, and I nodded. Cedric laughed, a hearty, full rumble originating in his chest and spilling from his lips. "I remember now. You kicked my ass last year in the first game of the year."

I rolled my eyes, still smiling. "It wasn't that big of a deal. I was just a little more aggressive, that was all..." I waved my hand dismissively, as if the whole thing had not been a big deal.

"You're kidding me. You had me bludgered eight times in the span of five minutes, and you knocked me off of my broom on the way to the Snitch. The boys made fun of me over it for months." He sat back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest. His eyebrows rose as he nodded, "You're absolutely the most vicious non-Slytherin I have ever played against, bar-none. I'd go far as saying you rival Slytherins at times. I've seen some of your other games. You've caused more broken noses at Hogwarts than the Weasley twins."

I frowned, my lips pursing into a line. "All accidents, I assure you." My hand then flew to my chest, my mouth dropping in mock shock. "And I'm hurt. You think I'm vicious?"

Cedric nodded again. "Absolutely. I'm quite impressed by it, actually. I admire it. You have a take-no-prisoners kind of attitude. But," he added, raising a finger. "When you do lose, you do so with grace and good sportsmanship. Something that very few people can truthfully claim." My cheeks burned, blood rushing to them. If the girls could see me now... I was usually more elegant and bubbly around the more attractive male species, but apparently, Cedric had to be placed in a category all his own; I was blushing more than I ever had in my life. It was a wonder that I wasn't tripping over every other word that came out of my mouth. He laughed, obviously fully aware of the effect his words, at the very least, were having on me. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Well, thank you, then," I said, a giggle rising from my throat as I made an attempt to ease myself into the situation. "You're not too bad at the game yourself. You shouldn't hold back when you play girls, though," I added, clucking my tongue in disapproval. "It usually leads to embarrassment in front of the entire school population." He raised an eyebrow, and I shrugged. "I've seen you play other teams. I'd definitely go so far as to say that you were holding out on me when we were playing."

"Would you now?" he asked, leaning in closer. His chin came to rest on his hand, his elbow propped up on the desk. A smile pulled on the corners of his eyes, but he managed to keep a straight face.

"I would, in fact. I think we'll need to have a rematch sometime. In my opinion, your performance that day was downright embarrassing for a player of your caliber."

"You think I have a caliber?"

"Indeed."

"Well then maybe you're right; we will have to have a rematch sometime," he said. "And I can promise I won't hold anything back." He studied my face for a second, causing my cheeks to burn again when he looked me up and down. "So you're in, what, fifth year?"

"Mmhm. Fifth year, turning sixteen on January fourth," I said. "Yourself?"

"Seventh year, turning eighteen on August twelfth." He grinned widely. "One year until total freedom. My father has been on my back for a very long time now..." he muttered, sighing. "I love him to death, of course, but he's really pushy about some things." I nodded, trying to understand the best I could with the limited information I had. I paused to study his face. His eyes were sad, and I frowned upon seeing that. It didn't seem right that someone so beautiful had to harbor the pain that I saw. In fact, it didn't seem right that _anyone_ should have to harbor the pain that I saw. He cleared his throat quickly, however, a small smile returning to his face. "But anyway, that's not important. What's with all of the transfiguration books?"

I groaned, my eyes closing as I grimaced. "Transfiguration project. I have to write an essay on the use of transfiguration by the Mayans, and then give a demonstration slash comparison of transfiguring a pebble to a plant and transfiguring a pebble into a seed and then into a plant. The trouble is that I'm not having too much luck with the demo part. It's so simple that it's difficult. That, and I've never been all so good at transfiguration," I admitted, lowering my eyes slightly. It was true. I never did have trouble with writing good essays; they just bored me half to death. But when it came to changing one thing into something else, I was more likely to make it keel over and die. It was pathetic.

Cedric was now leafing through some of the books on the desk, grinning as he looked through them. "I remember this project." He closed the book he was looking at, and re-focused on me. My heart fluttered at the thought of being the centre of his attention for the time being. It was a lovely feeling, to say the least about it. "I've always been pretty good at transfiguration. Maybe I can help? Figure out where you're going wrong?" My head nodded before my brain could realize what I had agreed to, and I picked up my wand. I, Cho Chang, a Ravenclaw, was about to look like an idiot in front of an extremely attractive seventh year male. Oh, goody.

Pointing the tip of the wand at a few of the pebbles on the desk, I sucked in a lungful of air. I flicked my wand twice, muttering the right words. The tiny rocks suddenly turned green, one already sprouting a tiny leaf. "That's not so bad, Cho," commented Cedric. "You've got seeds."

"This as good as it gets. I'll be damned if I can get the seeds _or_ the rocks to transfigure into a plant. The last ones looked like disfigured Cleansweeps," I moaned, pouting. Cedric cringed, a smile still on the corners of his lips.

"Those are pretty rough as it is."

"Exactly. And I make them look worse. Look." I flicked my wand again, pronouncing the words as clearly as I could. The seed shifted and changed, a pile of dirt appearing below it. A stalk snaked its way from the seed, creating the proud beginning of a wheat plant. However, only moments after it appeared, it changed again, bending on awkward angles and wilting. Cedric's eyebrows rose.

"You were right. It _does_ look like a disfigured Cleansweep."

I groaned, burying my head in my arms. "I know," I said, my voice slightly muffled through my arms. "I told you it was bad."

"I think I can help, though," he said softly, his hand coming to rest on my arm. His skin was silky and soft against mine, and for a moment I forgot to breathe. I couldn't figure out why he was having such an effect on me. Was I really that attracted to him that he could turn me into a stunned statuette? When I could finally take another breath, it was ragged and deep. His touch was deliciously warm, and it sent tiny bolts of lightning down my spine. I peeked out from my arms, sighing. Cedric smiled, wetting his lips absently. "Come on," he encouraged. "I don't bite." I sighed again, pulling my self up straight again.

"Alright, Mister Diggory. Teach away." Apparently, he did not need more encouragement than that. He stood up immediately, tugging on my arm gently. I, too, stood up, stepping over to position myself at his side.

"Now, let me see your seed to plant wand movements," he instructed, eyes focused on my hand and wand. I trembled slightly as I demonstrated, and he grinned. "That's the problem. I thought you would have figured it out from one of the books or something." I frowned, confused. "It's not a swish-swish-flick, Cho." Cedric grinned, pulling his wand out of his back pocket. "Watch," he whispered, staring at my disfigured wheat stalk intently. As a result of a movement almost too quick for me to follow properly, the plant suddenly grew into a tall, healthy stalk of wheat. "It's a loop and a flick." I tried to mimic his movements, and he chuckled. "Do you mind if I help?" he asked, moving closer. Unable to find my voice, I simply nodded and I focused on breathing.

Cedric moved behind me, his hand snaking out and covering mine on the wand. I could feel the warmth of his body pressing lightly against my back, my head not even coming to his shoulder. His scent was intoxicating, clean and sweet, like soap and cinnamon. My head began to spin, as if I had drank one too many of the Firewhiskey shots that were served at almost every one of the parties I had attended. I hated the feeling of alcohol intoxication passionately now, but the dizzy feeling I was currently under the influence of was quite welcome. I blinked repeatedly, trying to ignore the fire that was burning just under my skin and focus on the task at hand. My grade on the project depended on my understanding of his explanation. He moved my hand gently, his voice soft as he spoke, "Make a circle like this, and then finish with a flick." His hand pulled away as I tried on my own. He laughed, and I frowned.

"Don't make fun," I nearly growled.

"I'm sorry," he said, his body becoming still again. "It's just that your Quidditch aggression in showing." I turned to face him, one eyebrow raised quizzically. Cedric smiled gently, two rows of perfectly straight and white teeth peeking out at me. "You're attacking the flick," he explained, taking me by the shoulders and turning me around again. "It's not a stab. It's just a light, easy movement. Flick," he said, controlling my hand again, re-demonstrating the movement.

"So loop and flick?" I asked.

"Loop and flick."

"Not stab?"

"Not unless you're looking to kill something," he teased, a rumble of laughter shaking his body behind me. "Try it now. See what you can do..."

I inhaled deeply, rolling my shoulders out. I felt like I was preparing for an important Quidditch match or something of the sort. It was like the jitters were impossible to shake off. After a moment, I managed to steady myself, and repeated his instructions in my head. Pointing my wand at a new seed, I muttered the spell, drawing the necessary shapes in the air. A proud stalk of wheat morphed from the tiny seed and stood straight and tall. I had done it. "I did it," I said, my voice high-pitched with surprise. "I actually did it. It looks like a plant!"

Cedric patted me on the back, and, much to my dismay, moved back to stand by his chair. "See, I told you you could do it." The grin on his face was huge, stretching all the way across his face. My eyes were still wide as I stared at the plant on the desk. I could not believe it had been that simple. I repeated my previous statements, turning to Cedric.

"I did it!" I squeaked again, my voice even higher. A smile spread across my face, my eyes crinkling up with delight. Without thinking, I leapt forward, pulling him into a hug. Rather than cringing away in surprise, however, his arms wrapped around me and tugged me in a little closer. I pressed my cheek against his chest, inhaling deeply as if I were calming myself down. Realistically, I was taking a moment to revel in his warmth and sweet scent. "Thank you so much," I said, my voice calm now. As I looked up at him, it was quite evident that I was a good foot and a half shorter than him. "Really, thank you. I couldn't have done it without you."

He smiled, his lips curling up slightly. "You are quite welcome," he said, as I began to pull away slowly. "But don't doubt yourself. I'm sure you would have figured it out on your own." He pointed to the house crest on my book bag. "You are a Ravenclaw, after all. And besides," he said, patting my back. "I'm sure you can do anything you put your mind to. You _did_ manage to knock a one hundred and eighty pound, six foot three Seeker off his broom."

"Yeah, but you were being a push over," I answered, crossing my arms. "You weren't giving it your all."

"Giving it my all or not, there is no way anyone could possibly play much better when they were being battered by bludger after bludger. And for such a tiny girl, you can sure hit someone pretty hard. I have pictures of the bruises you inflicted, you know." His voice was very matter-of-fact as he took a seat, settling into his chair. My hand groped absently for my own chair, and I almost tumbled to the floor when I moved to sit down. Somehow, I managed to catch myself, grinning sheepishly as I shifted onto my chair.

"I'm not usually this clumsy," I admitted, a sheepish smile lighting my face up. "Or this much of a blubbering idiot."

Cedric raised an eyebrow, a small smirk on his lips. Usually, when someone smirked at me, I was tempted to wipe the smirk off of their face. However, Cedric managed to make the smirk look innocent, to my surprise. He had escaped my wrath for now. "I don't think you're being a blubbering idiot. I can't argue clumsy, though," he added, teasing me. "Why do you think you're different than usual right now?"

I seethed on the inside at the thought of having to give him a reason for my disabled self at this time. My tongue darted out to lick my lips, and I sighed. I looked up at him from under my dark lashes, blinking shyly. "I'm usually really good around attractive guys, but for some reason, you have me tripping all over myself. And I never trip. Ever."

"You think I'm attractive?"

"Extremely," I sighed. "I mean, have you looked in a mirror lately? You're gorgeous. And-" I stopped short, my hand flying to my mouth. My eyes widened and my breath started to come in gasps. "Holy _crow_," I choked out.

Cedric sat up straighter, looking around anxiously. His eyebrows were knitted together in a frown. I noticed that his hand was gripping his wand tightly, each knuckle starting to go white. Was he worried for me? That was pleasing. "What? What's wrong?" he asked, his eyes still searching the room franticly.

"I can't believe I'm spilling everything like this. I _never_ spill anything to a guy I've only just met. Especially not how attractive I think they are, oh Merlin..." I moaned, my face contorted with shock. "I'm so sorry," I whispered, panicking. "I'm so sorry if I've just freaked you out. That was so random and I don't know what came over me and oh Merlin I have to stop talking." I clamped my hands over my mouth and squeezed my eyes shut. What was wrong with me?

Suddenly, a warm hand wrapped its fingers around my wrist, pulling on it gently. I opened my eyes, relieved that he was still there, and ecstatic that he was touching me again. "Would it help if I told you how attractive I think you are?" he asked, a playful smile on his lips. Slowly, my hands dropped from my face. My breathing began to return to its normal rhythm, and my mouth opened to speak.

"You think I'm attractive?" I asked slowly, mirroring the question he had asked me only minutes before.. My heart was pounding wildly in my chest, beating against my ribcage.

"Extremely," he said with a grin, obviously mirroring my previous response. "Beautiful, actually," he stated, leaning back in his chair as he placed my hand on my lap.

"You think so, even though I beat the living tar out of you during a Quidditch match, and just made myself look like an idiot by babbling uncontrollably?"

"I thought you were even more attractive when I found out you were Cho Chang, the only girl who has ever put a run to me during a game of Quidditch. It's never a bad thing when a girl can take care of herself. I liked that you were straight forward about your thoughts about me, even if it was unintentional. Cedric winked, sending my heart into a violent and frantic flutter. "And I thought the babbling was endearing."

I had to stop for a moment. It was too much to take in all at once. Sitting back in my chair, I looked around to study the little nook of the library that I loved so very much The table was relatively small, and could fit three people at the very most. In the corner, there was a fireplace that threw flickering light over the floor. It's heat was pleasant at any time, more so in the winter. Several over-stuffed and incredibly comfortable armchairs were positioned around the fireplace, just in the range of the comfortable temperature of the air around the fire. A coffee table sat in the middle of all the arm chairs, covered in books on every subject that had been left behind by students. It was all so normal for me now; I knew the space like the back of my hand. And suddenly, the balance of my world had been shaken by the presence of someone I could actually have a clever conversation with. I looked up at Cedric again, a small smile creeping onto my lips as his eyes caught mine. His mouth began to open, as if he were going to say something. Suddenly, another voice broke the silence.

"Ced? Ced, where are you, man? We found everyone. We're all going down to watch you put your name in. Ced? Seriously, Diggory, where the hell are you?" Cedric's eyes closed as he grinned and shook his head.

"You're putting your name in for the Triwizard Tournament?" I asked, my voice soft. A string of concern tugged in my stomach; the tournament was known to be dangerous.

"Yeah, I think I'd be good at it," he said, his eyes opening again. "I'm sorry, but I have to run." His smile became apologetic, his brows furrowing with guilt.

"No, no, don't worry. You do what you have to do. I have a hot date with my essay, anyways."

Cedric laughed, the sound sending tingles down my spine once again. "Okay. You know where Hufflepuff house is, right? Just in case you need any more help."

I rolled my eyes exaggeratedly. "Yes, I think so. Thank you for your help, again." He stood up, and I rose as well. "I'll see you around, then?" I asked, my voice hopeful. I really did want to see him again soon.

"You can count on it," he said, throwing me a wink. I watched as he disappeared down one of the rows of books, sighing. I walked over to one of the armchairs and flopped down into it. My gaze directed itself to the fire, and I watched the dancing colours closely. Butterflies fluttered in my stomach as I glanced back to the aisle he had disappeared down, hoping to see him there again. What was this boy doing to me?

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A/N: And there you have it. The first chapter of what will hopefully be a short chaptered story about the relationship between Cho and Cedric. Let me know what you think of it. LOOOOVE.


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